Liquid separation method and apparatus



April 17, 1951 LA VERN H. DE HAVEN 3 4 LIQUID SEPARA'IICHI METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed April 16, 1945 JNVENTOR.

BY /W Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED srrss LIQUID SEPARATION METHOD AND APPARATUS La Vern H. De Haven, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to Bowser, Inc Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 16, 1945, Serial No. 588,655

maceous earth or other media where one of said liquids is dispersed as an emulsion in another liquid.

In the operation of modern high pressure and high speed reciprocating steam engines, the oils used to lubricate the pistons and valves of these engines is carried with the exhaust steam and appears as an emulsion in condensate flowing from the condensers-connected to such engines. When the condensate is again introduced into steam generators it creates various problems.

It has been proposed to treat the condensate by passing it through a bed or cake of diatomaceous earth or similar material which serves, is believed, to coalesce the individual bits of emulsion into particles of oil which can then be readily separated by gravitation. In any case the emulsion is removed and the'condensate becomes clear after passage through the filter. While numerous media have been tried for effecting this separation, such as, for instance, steel wool, bronze wool, aluminum. wool, stainless steel wool and Monel wool in various grades, it has been found that each presents difficulties and cost factors which discourage their use. on the other hand, the use of diatomaceous earth,

which will be hereinafter referred to as powder,

has the advantage of being low in cost and easily applied.

However, a number of difficulties are encountered in its use and it is a major object of this invention to cure these difliculties.

The treatment has been applied to the condensate by passing the latter through a bed of powder. However, the powder shifts and channels due to the washing action of the flow of condensate and also with the motions of the container as in vehicular or marine applications. This causes the loss of a great deal of powder and inefficient operation. Further, the bed of powder eventually traps a quantity of oil or emulsion and loses its separating efiiciency which is indicated by cloudiness ofthe efliuent.

To overcome the shifting and channeling difficulties the usual screen type filter hast'been used, wherein a series of screens are mounted between the inlet and outlet of a filter so that the difierential pressures applied on opposite sides of'the screenand slurry of powder .and water is circulated through the screen to build up a precoat or cake thereon; .s'when thescake 2 'is established, raw condensate is then passed through it.

The difiiculties encountered in the use of the screen type of filter are that the cake drops from the screen when the condensate pump is' stopped, necessitating precoating before further operation can be had and the loading of the cake with oil or emulsion so that it loses its efiiciency and permits emulsion to pass through it.

It is an object of 'the invention to provide a method and apparatus for retaining the precoat on the filter screens irrespective of the operation of the condensate pump.

It is .a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for reactivating the precoat after it loses its efiiciency.

Yet another object of the invention is toprovide means for maintaining a continuous flow of liquid through the filter to hold the cake on the screens.

Still another object is to provide means for passing an oil solvent through the cake on the screens to remove the oil and/or emulsion from the cake so as to restore its emulsion separating eificiency.

Further, it is an object of the invention to provide means for trapping oil, and solvent which is carried'in the filtrate.

These and other objects will become apparent from a study of this specification and the-drawings which are attached thereto and made a part thereof and in which the single figure is a schematic diagram illustrating the filtering separation, precoating and washing apparatus, and process.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates a centrifugal or a positive displacement pump with a by-pass which is driven by motor 2 connected in power line 4 controlled by switch 6 having an inlet conduit 3 and an outlet conduit 5. A check valve 5 and a shut off valve 9 are inserted in the outlet conduit, the former to prevent a back flow through the pump and the latter to divert the liquid flow for backwashing, which will be disclosed later in this specification. A-slurry feeder H has an inlet I3 controlled by valve, l5 leading from line 5 on the outlet side of pump 1 and an outlet conduit l i controlled by valve 19 joining conduit :5 downstream from the inlet conduit 13. Both the inlet and outlet con- ;dui-ts connect with conduit .5 between the pump l and the valve '9. duit 5 between conduits i3 and I1.

The conduit 5 terminates in thecase or shell .Zl' 0f filter. 2.3.: The Lfilter may be of any of the A throttle valve 26 i in contypes in which powder is supported as a cake on a pervious medium. A cylindrical screen type of element 25 is shown for purposes of illustration only. This element is provided with a head 21 which is connected to .a conduit 29 extending through the filter head 3I. Conduit 63 branches from conduit 29, is provided with a sight glass 62 and leads into the shell 65 of the separator 81. Shut-off valve 69 is located in conduit 63. Two outlet conduits II and I3 are provided at the top and bottom respectively of the separator, the former having shut-off valve I controlling the fiow from the separator, while the flow into the latter conduit is deflected by baffle 11. Conduit 13 terminates in conduit 31 and a shut-off valve 4I. Conduit 31 leads to a receptacle for the filtrate.

Conduit 35 is joined to conduit I3 and supplies a circulating pump 45, having a conventional by-pass 41, with filtrate. The motor 46 is connected in power line 48 controlled by switch 59 which is normally kept closed at all times. Conduit 49 connects the discharge of pump 45 with conduit 5 between the filter and valve 9. A

check valve 5I is placed in conduit 49 to prevent a back flow through pump 45.

A back washing conduit 53 connects conduit '55, which joins conduit 29, to conduit 5 between valves I and 9. A shut-oil valve 51 is provided in conduit 53. A precoating or circulating conduit 59 having a sight glass 39-and a shut-off valve BI joins pump inlet conduit 3 and conduit 55. g

A conduit 8| which is provided with a shut-oil? valve 83 connects a funnel 85 with conduit 35 so that solvent or other material can be introduced in the line.

A drain connection 81 with shut-off valve 89 is provided at the bottom of the filter shell 2|.

Operation 'I5 into the powder feeder I I and also the amount of filter aid that is carried by the diverted liquid through conduit I1 and valve I9 into conduit 5 below valve 2|]. The liquid carries the filter aid through valve 9 and into shell M of the filter 23, filling the filter.

The liquid flows through the openings in the screen 25 and deposits the filter aid in an even cake over it. The liquid returns to the suction side of the pump by way of header 27, conduits 29, 55, 59, valve BI and line 3, fo recirculation until the desired precoat cake has been formed. This is usually indicated by the clarity of the filtrate which is observed in a sight glass such as 39.

With the completion of the precoating, valves 28, 89 and 4! are opened. Valves I5, I9 and 6| are closed while valves 51, I5 and 89 remain closed. Raw condensate is thus drawn from pipe 3, passed through pump I, the cake on screen '25, out through conduit 29, sight glass 62, pipe 63,

In passing through the cake, any foreign solid 1,

matter is filtered out and the emulsion is broken and small droplets of oil coalesce into larger droplets which leave the filter cake, pass through the screen 25 and enter the separator 81. Since the cross sectional area of the separator is much larger than that of the pipe, the velocity of flow through the separator i greatly reduced and thus permits the larger drops of oil to rise and collect at the top of the separator where they are periodically drawn off through conduit 'II by openin valve I5. The water flows out of the bottom of the separator and is conducted to the discharge pipe 31. The baffle I1 prevents the formation of a vortex and also prevents a direct or shortened line of flow between inlet and the outlet.

Some of the emulsion is trapped in the filter cake and as this accumulates, the cake will lose its efficiency and the filtrate will begin to run cloudy in the glass 62. This cloud can be readily observed when the emulsion reaches a concentration of two to five parts per million.

To correct this condition applicant starts pump 45 and stops pump I and closes valves 9 and M,

valve 69 remains open, check valve 5| is opened by the flow from pump 45. Under these conditions sheck valve 1 will close and pump 45 will draw liquid from the separator 61 and circulate it through the filter 23 and the separator. He then fills the funnel with an oil solvent such as kerosene, No. 1 fuel oil, gasoline or any similar solvent, and simultaneously cracks valves I5 and 83. Some of the oil which has collected in the separator, or if none is present, water will be pumped out of the system and the solvent will be drawn into it and will be pumped through the filter and eventually trapped in the separator where it can be drawn off.

In passing through the filter cake, the solvent removes the emulsion which is dissolved and carried with the solvent to the separator. The ability of the cake to remove emulsion is substantially restored.

The valves I5 and 83 are closed when the solvent has all been drawn into the system and circulation may be carried on long enough to insure that the most of the solvent is collected in the separator. When this has occurred, pump 45 will be stopped, pump I will be started and valve M will be opened to start the filtrate movement. The separation of the cake from the screen necessitates the precoating of the screen again before filtering can be resumed.

To prevent the loss of the cake under such circumstances, that is during the times when the intermittently operated condensate pump is shut down, applicant permits the pump 45 to operate at all times when pump I is not operating and when it is desired to hold the cake in place, so that there will be differential pressure impressed on the cake at all times which serves to hold the cake on the screens. If desired, pump 45 may operate continuously.

It is, of course, necessary to match the pumps I and 45. As an example but not for purposes of limitation, if we assume a filter scre'enarea of square feet and 'that a maximum filter inlet pressure of 50 p."s. i. may be permitted before backwashing, the condensate pump I should be able to deliver five times the screen area in square feet or about 500 G. P. M. with an open discharge and about 200 G. P. M. at 50 pounds'discharge pressure. The pump 45 should be able to deliver a quantity equal to about one-fifth the screen :area :in square feet at 50 'p'. s. i. or about 20 G. P. M. and should preferably be capable of a higher maximum pressure than pump 1 so that it will circulate liquid under any conditions. Thus, a flow of about 20 G. P. M. would be maintained through the filter even if the filter cake is at the stage where it should be cleaned or backwashed. In the event the discharge pressure of either pump exceeds that of the other, the check valve of the pump which is overcome will close to prevent flow backwards through the pump. The pump which is overcome will simply quit pumping if it is centrifugal type, or, if it is a positive displacement type, the by-pass will open and the liquid will circulate.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, structure and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, applicant does not desire to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed herein primarily for purposes of illustration; but

instead, he desires protection falling fairly within 7 the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of treating an emulsion comprising the steps of passing the emulsion through a cake of filter aid material, separating the emulsion liquids, and continuously circulating a portion of the separated continuous phase liquid through said cake.

2. In a filtration system, the combination of a closed tank, pressure-type filter having a fixed, upright, perforate means adapted to support a cake filter aid material, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe for said filter, a receptacle connected to said outlet pipe, a conduit to supply liquid to be filtered, a first intermittently operable pump connected to said supply conduit and connected to supply said liquid to said filter inlet pipe, and a second pump, smaller than the first mentioned pump, having its suction and discharge in communication with said filter outlet and inlet pipes respectively for maintaining a pressure differential on said cake so as to hold said cake on said means, said second pump being continuously operated and having a smaller capacity than the first pump.

3. In a filtration system, the combination of a closed tank, pressure-type filter having a fixed, upright, perforate means adapted to support a cake filter aid material, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe for said filter, a conduit to supply liquid to be filtered, a

first intermittently operable pump connected to said conduit and connected to supply said liquid to said filter inlet pipe from said conduit, said first pump having a predetermined maximum discharge pressure, and a second pump, having a displacement per revolution which is less than that of the first pump, having its suction and discharge communicating with said filter outlet and inlet pipes respectively for maintaining a pressure differential on said cake so as to hold said cake on said means, said second pump having a smaller gallons per minute output capacity than the first pump and having a maximum discharge pressure which is in excess of the maximum discharge pressure or" said first pump and means for maintaining said second pump in operation continuously.

4. In a filtering system, the combination of a closed tank, pressure-type filter comprising a fixed, porous medium adapted to support a cake of filter aid material, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe for the filter, receiving means disposed to receive filtrate from said outlet pipes, a conduit to supply liquid to be filtered, a first intermittently operable pump connected to said conduit and connected to supply unfiltered liquid to said in-..

let pipe, a second pump, having its suction and discharge communicating with the filter outlet and inlet pipes respectively, and means including said second pump for maintaining a fiow of liquid through the cake while said first pump is inoperative, tohold the cake on the medium.

LA VERN H. DE HAVEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 847,537 Abbott Mar. 19, 1907 1,284,750 Munro Nov. 12, 1918 1,501,877 Zoul July 15, 1924 1,579,171 Zoul Mar. 30, 1926 1,807,833 Eddy June 2, 1931 1,972,454 Manley et al. Sept. 4, 1934 2,073,654 Smiley Mar. 16, 1937 2,083,578 Roberts June 15, 1937 2,106,071 Stanton Jan. 18, 1938 2,113,010 Tears Apr. 5, 1938 2,128,931 Ferris et a1 Sept. 6, 1938 2,218,547 Novak Oct. 22, 1940 

1. THE METHOD OF TREATING AN EMULSION COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING THE EMULSION THROUGH A CAKE OF FILTER AID MATERIAL, SEPARATING THE EMULSION LIQUIDS, AND CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING A POR- 